Sport Sister’s Post

I had the pleasure to put together this short blog post together with the gender team at Common Goal. ✨Special thanks to Catherine Schulter from Women Win for her invaluable input and feedback. This blog post is based on the adidas Breaking Barriers latest paper 👉🏽 https://lnkd.in/eyRwDTSr Take a look and learn more about the role of gender and coaching in European professional football! #womensfootball #coaches #gender #europe #sportfordevelopment

This article sheds light on the importance of supporting girls' participation in sports, emphasizing the profound impact it can have on their self-confidence and overall well-being. Venus Williams' involvement in initiatives like Dove's underscores the significance of role models in inspiring girls to stay active and pursue their athletic aspirations. The statistics presented in the article, particularly regarding the decline in girls' sports participation rates and the role of low body confidence as a major deterrent, highlight the systemic challenges that need to be addressed. It's alarming to see how societal pressures and stereotypes can impact girls' perceptions of themselves and their abilities in sports. As a former Division-1 athlete, I can attest to the transformative power of sports in shaping not only physical fitness but also mental resilience and leadership skills. Being part of a team and competing instills discipline, perseverance, and a strong sense of camaraderie. Now, as the parent of three girls, I understand the importance of providing them with opportunities to participate in sports and fostering an environment where they feel supported and encouraged to pursue their athletic interests. It's essential to promote a culture of inclusivity and body positivity, where girls feel valued for their talents and contributions rather than being judged on their appearance. It's about empowering girls to believe in themselves, embrace their strengths, and unlock their full potential both on and off the field. I say to my girls all the time: exercise and sports get you out of your heads and into your bodies. It's a true source of power to appreciate what your body can do.

A great read. The engagement and retention of girls in sports. The more we talk, the more inclusive we become, the more barriers are challenged and broken down, and the more empowered we all are. #womensfootball #football #sport #girlsinsports #inclusive #growth #thrive #diversity #empowerment #coaching #leadership #leadershipcoaching

I’m deeply invested in my local netball club, the mighty Leichhardt Wanderers, because I am a firm believer in the benefits of community-based (some might call it “social”) team sports. My reason to be there is simple; I’m there to keep the girls playing social sport through the critical teenage drop-out years. I gained so much playing community-based sport as a kid and I want to pay that forward. And over the course, all that coaching and umpiring has given me some insight that has made me a better leader in my professional sphere. My biggest learnings: 1. What’s my role in this team? Every player is happier and performs better when they know what their role is in the team. Sounds easy? It is when you’re wearing a netball bib, but the workplace isn’t so straightforward! 2. Path of least resistance: Not everyone needs to get involved in every phase of play, the players need to know when their job is to relieve the pressure and pull themselves (and their defender) away, and that they have permission to do so. Sometimes your job is to get out of the way. 3. Look for opportunities to praise: No one performs better when they are being screamed at or being told they are not good enough. Tell them you know they can do it and celebrate wildly as they start to execute the skill and they will feel like a winner every step of the way. There can be no mastery without motivation. 4. Systems build success: The more passes the more opportunities there are to lose the ball. A synchronised team working within a set play gets to the goal more often and more efficiently. 5. Set boundaries for culture: Bad behaviour, poor attitude at training, issues with the umpire, or just losing their cool… teenagers are a wild ride! Be clear about your expectations up front. In our team we play happy, joyful netball and positive attitude gets court time. 6. It takes time: Building a high performance team takes time, a lot of encouragement, consistency and coaching. But there is a lot of fun and success to be had along the way. Occasionally running out for ice-cream and appreciating each other does more for performance than you could ever imagine. 7. Swift, specific feedback: When the play gets unsafe, blow the whistle, stop the play, name the infringement and then play on! Happily and joyfully. 8. Trust the team: Coaches can take to the court in training, to mentor and demonstrate and fine tune. But when the big moments come the coach can only watch from the sideline. When the game is being played the coach needs to demonstrate total belief in the team to get the job done. If we all approached leadership like we were trying to build a winning culture for non-elite, teenaged netballers what would we do differently? Gaye Ryberg Gael McLennan Annabel Mendelson Jenni Chase

Working for many years in sports with some of the best athletes in the world, as well as fighting for years to improve how sports people are treated, then hearing some demeaning comments about athletes who do not get an Olympic medal after qualifying, I had to reflect on this and explain certain aspects to those who seem to not have any idea about what it means. 1. Qualifying for a big contest such as the Olympic Games is, in itself, a huge achievement. It is not just a matter of having basic talent, but it takes years of effort and sacrifices from the athlete, their family, and everyone around them to get to that point. 2. Qualifying for a big contest is THE achievement. Getting a medal on the day is no less impressive, but, from my point of view, not a bigger achievement than qualifying. 3. Any athlete who hasn’t had the same support as those who have been privileged to get massive support over years is even more impressive in my eyes. This is why I have more respect for women’s sport, sportspeople from underprivileged backgrounds, surroundings working against them, etc. What we see on TV is not just the few minutes that the athletes are putting into the competition, but years, if not decades, of blood, sweat, and tears that most normal human beings cannot achieve a tenth of on a good day. Don’t focus on the results, but respect and celebrate the process. Dedication and discipline have to trump any trophy. Teach this to your kids so that we can try and get rid of idiotic prejudices, and it can start from somewhere as simple as sports.

A new piece of research highlights the impact of underrepresentation of females in coaching on biases in children towards female coaches. Paris 2024 will achieve equity for female athlete representation but female coach representation still lags behind. Both indicate that there is still much work to be done for female representation across sport. As the well-worn adage goes, you need to see to be it! https://lnkd.in/eKc2dFJq

This post speaks to how we can all be leaders. Acknowledging and celebrating the success of others...

There has been a notable increase in women's involvement in football in the past decade, but a recurring issue persists. A contrast in opportunities, funding and attention from corporations and media outlets towards women athletes compared to men athletes remains. This inequality is particularly noticeable in coaching. The under-representation of and a lack of consideration for gender perspectives in training sessions reinforce stereotypes and overlook the specific needs of women and girls in sports. The adidas Breaking Barriers research paper delves into these challenges. It's time to re-think coaching practices, change the dominant narratives, and promote gender-inclusive and respectful spaces in sports. A huge thanks to Women Win and 17 Sport for their help in putting everything together. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/d96PNyEy

February 7, 2024, marks the 38th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day. At 413, we have a variety of competitors on our team, ranging from rowing to tennis, swimming to ultimate frisbee! As a woman-owned small business (WOSB) we wanted to share some personal stories from the incredible women on our team to illustrate how playing competitive sports assisted in transforming them into the leaders they are today.   413's COO and Co-founder Morgan Poyant was a competitive tennis player in high school in Florida and still keeps up the sport today. Her ability to thrive in high heat and to have grace in wins and losses are traits Morgan attributes to all those hours on the tennis courts.   Lindsay Hunziker, a Senior Technical Advisor, who rowed in college, correlates crew to her current role: "Rowing is a very physically demanding sport that taught me many things but what may surprise others is the amount of mental endurance the sport necessitates. Evaluation work in the field like a rower's endurance can be physically grueling and test the limits of your mental fortitude but what is learned in the process about the work and yourself is invaluable and enables you to push yourself across the finish line."   Research Associate Kathleen Sowder says to trust the process…"swimming taught me that if you keep showing up -showing up for yourself, your team, your craft or process -- that's when you see results. If you master the process you can master the goal."   Project Associate Marissa Eagen adds, "As a coxswain, rowing taught me a lot of emotional intelligence. Specifically how to work individually, support to the entirety of the boat, and as a team. Sports overall taught me discipline, respect, and time management."   Lessons learned: Being part of a competitive sport teaches not only strength, determination, resilience, and emotional intelligence, but also teamwork, leadership, managing stress/pressure, problem-solving, and effective communication, all traits that directly correlate into skills needed for successful careers.   There's even a recent article in Forbes (August 2023) in which women employed by renowned consulting firm Deloitte, were interviewed about this exact topic. 85% of women surveyed who played sports shared that the skills they developed playing sports were important to success in their professional careers — the findings are even higher among women in leadership roles (91%) and women who make $100,000 or more (93%). Of female respondents who earn $100K+ annually and are in management or leadership roles, 69% have played competitive sports.   #womenandgirlsinsportsday #NWGSD #womeninsports #womeninbusiness

As a female participating in sport and interested in pursuing a career in athletics, this article helped me understand what it can be like as a woman in sport related fields. It was shed some light on some barriers that women may face while trying to build a name for themselves in coaching and sports. Two of the most common barriers found were; trying to have a work-life balance as a mom, and discrimination from being left out of the "boys club". In order to increase the number of women in sport related fields, there needs to be a shift in the sport culture to create a more open and diverse culture. I hope to be apart of the change in sports where women continue on their athletic journey and become a female role model that young girls look up to. The more female strength and conditioning coaches out there, the more likely they will understand that they can work in an environment with athletes to motivate, assist in athletic success, and influence younger generations. This article helps bring another perspective on women in strength and conditioning, it is definitely worth the read! O'Malley, L. M., & Greenwood, S. (2018). Female coaches in strength and conditioning - why so few? Strength and Conditioning Journal, 40(6), 40-48.